LL.M. in Trial Advocacy,

LL.M. in TRIAL ADVOCACY (With Court Residency) Chapman's newest LL.M. program is different than most Trial Advocacy programs that you may find because it lets qualified candidates gain nearly unattainable civil or criminal trial experience while in school. Unlike other programs, Chapman's LL.M. in Trial Advocacy gives students who are licensed by the California State Bar the opportunity to participate in a 15-week "residency" in a criminal agency or law firm, where they will routinely make court appearances and handle other pretrial matters. Most will also try at least one complete jury trial. Candidates not licensed by the California State Bar will still be able to receive hands-on trial training from Superior Court Judges and leading jurists, prosecutors, civil litigators, and criminal defense attorneys.

• Credits
• Core Courses
• Transfer Credits
• Grading

Credits

Twenty-four (24) units of credit are required to obtain the LL.M. degree. Full-time students may enroll in a minimum of nine (9) and a maximum of fourteen (14) units per semester. To receive financial aid, a student must be enrolled in a minimum of five (5) units per semester. Degree requirements must be completed within four (4) years.

Core Courses

The LL.M. degree in Trial Advocacy requires completion of two or three required core courses. Introduction to American Law, a two credit course taught at before the beginning of each fall semester, is required of all foreign lawyers with a degree from a non-common law jurisdiction or law school.

In addition, all LL.M. students are expected to complete a substantial writing project, and recommended to consider completing this requirement through Directed Research. Students also are strongly encouraged to pursue experiential learning opportunities, either through enrollment in an externship for credit (normally 3 to 5 cr.), or through other volunteer or paid employment.

Transfer Credits

In some circumstances, student may receive credits toward the LL.M. degree for courses taken before matriculation into the LL.M. Program, and for courses taken at another law school or in Chapman University School of Law's J.D. curriculum after matriculation into the Program. The grades in such courses are ignored in determining whether the student's grade point average satisfies the LL.M. degree requirements.

A student may petition to receive up to six (6) credits toward the degree for certain LL.M. level courses or advanced J.D. level courses taken at any ABA-accredited law school during the three academic years preceding matriculation into the Program and within five years of completing the Program, provided in the case of each course that (1) the course is determined to be equivalent to a course or courses currently included in the LL.M. curriculum and (2) the student received at least a grade of "B" or the equivalent in the course. Applicants requesting such credit should so indicate when applying for admission and provide a syllabus or other description of the material covered in the course for which such transfer credit is sought. In no case will credit be given for extension or correspondence courses. In unusual cases, a student may petition the Director of the Program in order to request additional transfer credits.

With the approval of the Director, a student may petition to receive up to twelve (12) credits toward the degree for LL.M. level courses or advanced J.D. level courses equivalent to courses currently in the LL.M. curriculum taken at Chapman University School of Law during the three academic years preceding matriculation into the Program and within five years of completing the Program, provided the student received at least a grade of "B" in the course for which credit is sought. With the prior approval of the Director and for good causes shown, a matriculated student may receive up to six (6) credits in the aggregate for LL.M. level courses taken at another ABA-accredited law school and courses taken in the Chapman University School of Law J.D. curriculum, provided the student receives at least a grade of "B" or the equivalent in each such course.

Grading

There is no mandatory grading curve for LL.M. courses. Instructors in courses with both J.D. and LL.M. students will be asked to grade the two groups of students separately unless granted a waiver of the J.D. mandatory grading curve by the Associate Dean in accordance with existing rules.

Admission to the Program will be open to graduates of ABA-accredited American law schools or foreign equivalents. An application must include law school and college transcripts, a resume or c.v., two (2) letters of recommendation, and a personal statement outlining the student's preparation, interests, and goals for graduate study.

An applicant will only be admitted if the applicant's record, viewed as a whole, indicates that the applicant is likely to complete the Program successfully. The applicant's academic record (at the undergraduate, graduate, and law level) and relevant experience are the primary factors considered.

At this time, the curriculum design and schedule assume that students will begin the Program in the fall semester (except for those foreign lawyers who begin with the summer course). Thus, no applications will be accepted for spring entry. The priority deadline for admissions is March 1, with a final deadline of June 1. Foreign lawyers are especially encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible, in order to ensure enough time for the processing of student F-1 visas.

For Foreign Lawyers:

Foreign students who have not studied or received a degree at either an English language law school or university must complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 600 on the paper-based test, 250 on the computer-based test, or 100 on the Internet-based test.

In addition, those students who do not possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from either an American, Canadian, or other common law jurisdiction law school will be required to take a two-week summer course, Introduction to American Law, designed exclusively for LL.M. students and taught by the Director of Graduate Studies, supplemented by the participation of other Chapman faculty and staff. This course will include a substantial component on legal research and writing in the American context, and would begin in early August, leading directly into the Law School's two-day orientation program in mid-August.

Patrick M. Ahle
Adjunct Professor of Law

Chapman University School of Law
One University Drive, Orange, California  92866
Phone:  Fax:
Email:

Elizabeth M. Costello
Adjunct Professor of Law

Chapman University School of Law
One University Drive, Orange, California  92866

Beth Costello is a Senior Deputy District Attorney in the Orange County DA’s office, and frequently trains new deputies for the office. She has a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine, and J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law.
 

Kevin J. Haskins
Adjunct Professor of Law

Chapman University School of Law
One University Drive, Orange, California  92866

Kevin Haskins is an Assistant District Attorney in Orange County, having served in that office since 1986. He has served as a prosecutor in the units handling Sexual Assault & Child Abuse, Gangs, and Homicide, and has supervised operations in the Office’s North Justice Center, the Law & Motion Unit, and Juvenile Court Operations. He has a B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara, a J.D. from the University of San Diego, and an LL.M. in Prosecutorial Science from Chapman University School of Law. 

The Honorable Gregg L. Prickett
Adjunct Professor of Law

Chapman University School of Law
One University Drive, Orange, California  92866

Orange County Superior Court Judge Prickett has been on the bench since 1995, and prior to that, he was a prosecutor in Orange County for more than 10 years. He received his J.D., from Southwestern University School of Law, and his B.S. from the University of Southern California.

The Honorable James E. Rogan
Adjunct Professor of Law

Chapman University School of Law
One University Drive, Orange, California  92866
Phone:  Fax:
Email:

Prior to his original appointment to the bench by Governor Deukmejian in 1990, Judge Rogan was a gang murder prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office; California Lawyer Magazine named him as one of the state's most effective prosecutors. After he resigned from the bench in 1994, Judge Rogan won election to the California State Assembly, where he later served as majority leader. Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1996, he was Assistant Majority Whip. A member of both the House Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, Judge Rogan was one of the lead prosecutors in the United States Senate impeachment trial of President Clinton in 1998-1999. Judge Rogan later served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and as Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Judge Rogan returned to private law practice in 2004; in 2006 Governor Schwarzenegger appointed him to the Superior Court of California. In 2007 President Bush nominated him to be a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California; his nomination is pending currently before the United States Senate. Judge Rogan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law, where he served on the UCLA Law Review. His memoir, "Rough Edges," was published by Harper Collins in 2004.
COURSES TAUGHT: Trial Practice; Criminal Procedure/Adjudicative Process

The Honorable Scott Steiner
Adjunct Professor of Law

Chapman University School of Law
One University Drive, Orange, California  92866

Courses Taught: California Evidence, Advanced Prosecutorial Ethics

Publications:

Case Management Orders: Use and Efficacy in Complex Litigation and the Toxic Tort Fall 1999 Edition of Hastings West Northwest Journal of Environmental Law & Policy

Habitiations of Cruelty: Pitfalls of Expanding Hate Crime Legislation to Include the Homeless Summer 2009 Edition of The Criminal Law Bulletin

Cruelty: Pitfalls of Expanding Hate Crime Legislation to Include the Homeless Summer 2009 Edition of The Criminal Law Bulletin

FALL (12 cr.)

Monday night
 
Criminal Procedure/Adjudicative Process (3 cr.) (Judge James Rogan, Orange County Superior Court)
This course involves a study of the adjudicative stages of criminal justice: initial appearance, bail, prosecutorial discretion, grand jury proceedings, preliminary hearing, joinder and severance of offenses and defendants, right to speedy trial, guilty pleas, discovery, trial by jury, publicity, double jeopardy, and post-conviction remedies.
LAW 7303 Crim Pro/Adjudicative Process M 6:30-9:30P

OR

California Evidence (3 cr.) (S. Steiner)
(For students who did not complete Cal Evidence in their JD program.) This course provides a survey of the rules governing the presentation of evidence at trial in California. Topics will include relevance, character evidence, the hearsay rule and its exceptions, expert testimony, and privileges. The course focuses on the California Rules of Evidence, related case law, and constitutional provisions that may limit proof at trial. The class will consider differences between California evidence rules and the Federal Rules of Evidence, and considers both tactical and theoretical approaches to the rules of evidence.
LAW 7318 California Evidence T 5:00-7:00

Wednesday night
 
Trial Practice-Extern/LLM (3 cr.) (Judge Prickett)
This is a practical skills course in advocacy which introduces students to the fundamental components of a typical civil and criminal trial and requires students to perform exercises involving each component, and try a mock civil or criminal case from provided problem materials. The course requires student participation in discrete exercises, including jury voir dire, opening and closing statements, and direct and cross-examination. This section is open only to students who will be serving as an extern or LLM-trial advocacy lawyer in Spring 2010.
LAW 7617 Trial Practice T 6:30-9:30P

Thursday night

Advanced Topics in Advocacy: Preliminary Hearings-Extern/LLM (2 cr.) (Kevin Haskins, Assistant District Attorney, Orange County DA's Office)
This course focuses on specialized, advanced topics in advocacy, and specifically on putting on and defending felony preliminary hearings in California. It is open only to students who will be serving as an extern or LLM-trial advocacy lawyer in Spring 2010. Units of study will include the timing of the hearing, the role of the defendant at the hearing, limitations on the right to a public hearing, the holding order, evidentiary rules at the hearing, and superior court review of the magistrate's decision.
LAW xxxx Adv Topics: Preliminary Hearings Th 5:00-7:00P

AND

Advanced Topics in Criminal Procedure-Extern/LLM (2 cr.) (Costello)
Advanced Topics in Criminal Law and Procedure (2-3 units)
This course deals with advanced topics in criminal law and procedure. It is open only to students who will be serving as an extern or LLM-trial advocacy lawyer in Spring 2010. Units of study will include… Th 7:00-9:00P

SPRING (12 cr.)

Externship (9 cr. over one semester for a full-time externship)
Externships combine academic training in lawyering skills and the issues that arise in legal practice with practical experience in a placement with a legal office. Externs work under the supervision of qualified and experienced practicing attorneys or judges who provide guidance and training in practical lawyering skills. The classroom component is mandatory for all first-time externs and provides students systematic training in specific lawyering skills that may be relevant to their placements. Students will learn and use skills in preparing for and participating in preliminary hearings, misdemeanor arraignments, motions to suppress evidence, and trial practice. Students also will consider issues related to professionalism and ethics.
LAW 7589 Externship: Crim Time TBA

Advanced Criminal Procedure-Adjudicative Process (3 cr.) (P. Ahle)
This course involves a study of the adjudicative stages of criminal justice: initial appearance; bail, prosecutorial discretion; grand jury proceedings; preliminary hearings; joinder and severance of offenses and defendants; right to speedy trial; guilty pleas; discovery; trial by jury; publicity; double jeopardy; and post-conviction remedies.
LAW 8007 Adv Criminal Procedure-Adjudicative Process Monday 5:30-7:30P

OR

Civil Litigation Option Course:
Pre-trial Civil Practice (2 cr.) (Jayne Kacer, Dean of Students, Chapman University School of Law) This course centers on practical exercises in the preparation of litigation documents. Exercises may include the preparation of a complaint, cross-claim or counter-claim, answer, discovery documents, pre-trial and post trial motions, and trial briefs.
LAW 7598 Pre-Trial Civil Prac Monday 5:30-7:30P

Chapman University School of Law
LL.M. Programs
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 628-2635
(714) 628-2655 fax
llm@chapman.edu